Page 46

Chapter

Forty-Two

A ZALEA

We are missing something. I can feel it, and it is right on the tip of my tongue. One thing that will tie everything together, yet there is also how the council is involved and why Crux would go against his own uncle, my father.

I watch as Trey adds his details to the board, trying to find anything that can link Ester to the rogue murders or the council.

- Azalea was born.

- Ester falls pregnant with Peter.

- Landeena Kingdom falls. Azalea is missing. Marissa is missing.

- Trey spent 3 months in Valkyrie Hospital for silver poisoning.

- Trey was released from hospital in May and went looking for Marrissa and Azalea.

- Ester moves back to Valkyrie Kingdom, starts working as a castle servant.

- Trey returned to Valkyrie Kingdom and started working at the Mill.

- Trey failed the guard trials

- Trey failed the guard trials

- February - Landeena anniversary. Valkyrie Kingdom attacked. Claire was killed. Marrissa on the run.

- Marrissa Talbot is killed. Azalea, and Abbie are placed in the orphanage.

- Trey rejoined guard trials and passed, became Royal guard.

- Azalea Landeena found and returned to the Valkyrie Kingdom.

I sigh. So Trey wasn’t within the castle grounds while Marissa was. I chew my lip when Clarice speaks up.

“You worked at the Mill? You must have known my husband,” she says, smiling sadly.

“Who was your husband?” Trey asks her.

“Emanual Lounges,” she answers.

“Ah, yes, I worked alongside him. Nice man, I didn’t realize he was your mate, though.”

“I hadn’t changed him yet. He died just before we lost Claire,” she whispers, bowing her head to the King, who smiles sadly at her. “Not marking him is probably the only thing that spared me death after him,” Clarice adds sadly.

“Wait, Emanual Lounges?” Gannon asks, and we all look at him.

“Yes, you met Emanual once in town with me,” Clarice tells him, and he nods.

“Yes, but I didn’t know his last name was Lounges!” Gannon exclaims.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” I ask, curious as to why, out of everything, that is the one thing he picks up on.

“He died the night of the Ravana Pack attack?” Gannon asks Clarice.

“That’s correct. The 2012 attacks, when the hunters hit nine packs that month. He said he had family left in the pack and went to help. Kyson found him and brought him back home to me, he didn’t even make it to them,” Clarice says before swallowing as she glances at Kyson.

“Ravana Pack attack?” I ask, confused.

“Small pack that is not far from here. There are over 80 small packs in this state,” Kyson tells me, and I nod. I knew it was big, I just hadn’t realized how big.

“Ah, now I remember where I heard that name from! Abbie mentioned her aunt, Sia. That must have been who he was going back for. Emanual told me he had two daughters in Ravana Pack that were estranged,” Trey says.

“Excuse me?” Clarice asks, and everyone turns their heads to look at her. The look on her face is horrific as she stares at Trey like he just punched her.

“Sia Lounges?” Gannon asks abruptly. Yet, I can’t take my eyes from Clarice, who looks like she is on the verge of tears. She shakes her head.

“Wait, enough!” I yell, cutting everyone off as they reminisce on the past. One that is becoming more and more confusing.

“Clarice?” I ask her.

“No! My Emanual didn’t have children. He would have told me! He was going back for his siblings,” Clarice says..

“Clarice?” I whisper hesitantly, biting my lip. She shakes her head, averting my gaze.

“I think it is time I go to bed,” she says, bowing her head and quickly leaving.

“Crap! I didn’t mean to upset her,” Trey curses, watching her go.

“It’s not your fault, Trey. But now I have a strange feeling that this is bigger than any of us realize,” Gannon murmurs, looking back at Liam, who is watching her leave.

“What do you mean?” I ask him.

“Sia Lounges and Vivienne lounges, were Abbie’s aunty and grandmother. They lived in the Ravana pack, after being forced out of their first pack. Emanual was too late, by that time Sia and Vivienne were already dead, he just didn’t know it, he was going back for two dead women,” Gannon tells us.

“But what’s that got to do with any of this though?” I ask, still confused.

“Because I met Viviana Lounges, through my father. However, Crux was one of the men that introduced my father to Vivianne’s mother when I was a child.

I later met Vivianne as a woman when she was pregnant with the twins, Sia and Lina.

When I met Sia as an adult, it was at a pub her mother Vivianne owned.

I didn’t talk to Vivianne for years, after the Landeena attack I… ” Liam glances at Kyson who looks away.

“I went a while without speaking with her. I used to stay at Vivianne’s pub whenever I passed through. She is also who I went to after Landeena fell,” Liam explains.

“Why would you go to Abbie’s grandmother?”

“Because she was a witch. And I needed a location spell to locate you. She also ran an apothecary shop inside her house,” Liam explains.

“And Sia Lounges had ties to the hunters, we learned after I killed her,” Gannon explains. Kyson growls, and Gannon hangs his head before turning back to the whiteboard.

“I’ll go check on Clarice,” Damian murmurs, rushing out after her. Kyson wanders over to me and wraps his arms around me before looking at Gannon.

“You and Liam add to the timeline everything you know about Sia,” he tells them before pressing his lips on my hair.

“And you and I are going to bed. I have to be up in the morning to look for Larkin. And it is past midnight. You need to get some sleep,” Kyson says, leading me out of the ballroom.

However, I am wide awake and too nervous to sleep, but he is right.

I have been standing for hours, and it is starting to take a toll on me. Plus, my feet are killing me.

We head toward the stairs, but I stop when I hear crying coming from the kitchen and Damian’s hushed voice trying to calm down Clarice. “I feel terrible. I thought she knew he had kids,” Trey murmurs, following us up the steps.

“It’s not your fault,” Kyson tells him, and Trey swallows. We climb the stairs, and I am about halfway up when a sickeningly sweet smell wafts to me before I hear someone groan. I sniff the air, recognizing the scent to belong to Abbie.

“Abbie?” I call out, grabbing the banister and rushing up the steps. Abbie stands clutching her stomach and leaning against the wall, shaking. Sweat is coating her skin and her face is all flushed.

“I need a doctor. Something is wrong,” she whimpers. Running over, I grip her arms. She leans into me, and I look toward the corridor from near her quarters, a terrified feeling settling into my gut.

“Why didn’t you mindlink?” Kyson asks. Abbie’s brows crease, and she shakes her head.

“I forgot I can,” she groans, clutching my arms when Kyson growls, grabbing her and sweeping her legs out from under her. He turns and looks at Trey, who starts rushing up ahead to open doors from where Abbie came from, when I feel the mindlink open up.

‘Gannon, get to your quarters immediately!’ Kyson says through the link.

‘Are Abbie and Tyson alright?’ Gannon asks.

‘Azalea and I will take Tyson for the night. Just get to your room!’ Kyson snaps at him.

‘I’m on my way. What is going on?’ Gannon panics. Kyson growls, and I can tell he is mouth breathing. Looking at Trey, so is he and my eyes widen, and I gasp as it hits me, just as Kyson says it.

‘Can’t you feel her Gannon? Abbie is in heat!’ he says, pushing his way into Gannon’s room. Tyson is asleep on the bed, and Trey quickly grabs him, rushing out of the room while Kyson lays her on the bed.

“Hang on, Abbie. Gannon is on his way,” I whisper, brushing her hair back. “It hurts,” she sobs, curling into a ball.

“Gannon can make it go away,” I assure her just as the door bursts open.

The moment he steps into the room, it is like someone slapped him.

His pupils dilate, and he growls. I back up as he shakes his head, realizing it is me and not another male.

He watches as I creep along the wall as he remains frozen on the spot, unable to move.

“It’s Azzy, Gannon,” Abbie whines, and his head whips toward her. He blinks, moving toward the bed, and I rush past him and bolt out the door, slamming it shut behind me.